Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Bega NSW

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,563 in Bega NSW, rent and utilities included – about $15,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
122

Cost of Living Index in Bega NSW
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Bega NSW Living Index

Jump to prices

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Bega NSW

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,563

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Bega NSW

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Bega NSW actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $2,563 in Bega NSW, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
Bega NSW $2,563

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $3,832 in Bega NSW, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
Bega NSW $3,832

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $5,101 in Bega NSW, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
Bega NSW $5,101

Phuket is about 50% cheaper than Bega NSW, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Phuket sits 6% below the global median, while Bega NSW is 88% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$19.71 A$28.14

-77.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,092

$88.2 A$126

-63.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$10.87 A$15.52

-18.95%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.3

$4.42 A$6.32

-35.97%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 ฿29.37

$2.96 A$4.22

-70.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.64

$1.98 A$2.82

-75.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.2

$8.51 A$12.15

-69.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$6.95 A$9.93

-47.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.40 A$1.99

18.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.25

$3.07 A$4.38

-52.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.4

$2.38 A$3.40

-36.97%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.4

$5.38 A$7.68

-61.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿642

$8.40 A$12.00

127.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$8.01 A$11.44

-58.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$16.92 A$24.17

-35.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.7

$3.51 A$5.01

-16.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.9

$3.19 A$4.56

-47.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

$3.18 A$4.54

-29.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$4.92 A$7.03

-57.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.9

$2.87 A$4.10

-47.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.47

$2.12 A$3.03

-34.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.91

$2.33 A$3.33

-54.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.49

$1.49 A$2.13

-65.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$47.68 A$68.1

-91.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿633

$12.07 A$17.24

55.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

$4.35 A$6.21

-58.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.7

$5.68 A$8.11

-50.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$3.02 A$4.32

-51.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,909

$83.9 A$120

-32.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$3.58 A$5.11

-15.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.29

$1.51 A$2.16

-32.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿124

$42.04 A$60.0

-91.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.70

$1.34 A$1.92

9.70%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$26.8K ฿902.4K

$26.4K A$37.8K

1.29%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.7K ฿899.5K

$25.8K A$36.9K

3.44%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$96.4 ฿3,247

$217 A$309

-55.54%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$11.26 ฿380

$24.85 A$35.49

-54.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$54.7 A$78.1

-69.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,266

$53.0 A$75.7

26.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿361

$15.80 A$22.56

-32.09%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$16.11 A$23.01

-53.45%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$476 ฿16.0K

$2,121 A$3,029

-77.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.6K

$20.0K A$28.6K

-43.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,102

$87.7 A$125

-28.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿957

$54.9 A$78.4

-48.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,178

$116 A$165

-18.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,892

$118 A$169

-27.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.1K

$1,255 A$1,792

-42.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.5K

$1,222 A$1,746

-59.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿64.9K

$2,541 A$3,629

-24.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.2K

$2,084 A$2,977

-31.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.7K

$6,268 A$8,951

-33.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.6K

$4,704 A$6,718

-35.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.9

-5.59%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Bega NSW: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Bega NSW

$1.2K 47.7% 149% $731

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Bega NSW

$363 14.2% 36.4% $97

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Bega NSW

$296 11.6% 138% $172

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Bega NSW

$169 6.6% 39% $48

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Bega NSW

$320 12.5% 163% $198

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Bega NSW

$85 3.3% 3.7% $3

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Bega NSW

$107 4.2% 51.8% $37

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $1,255 in Bega NSW. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $88 in Bega NSW. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $363 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇦🇺 Bega NSW

🕒 Local time

17:37 5:37 PM

21:37 9:37 PM

4 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

4,683

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 AUD = 0.7 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.73 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.7 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.625 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Bega NSW 7,290 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Bega NSW

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Phuket vs Bega NSW: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Bega NSW is pricier by about 101%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $3,844 in Bega NSW. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $716 there versus $1,255 in Bega NSW.

Kindergarten costs $476 per month in Phuket and $2,121 in Bega NSW. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 36% more in Bega NSW, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,278, than in Bega NSW at $2,563. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bega NSW it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Phuket – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

For expats, Phuket is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 50% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.